Major progress has been made in negotiations for the release of hostages in Gaza, with Hamas agreeing on a first phase concerning the elderly and sick. According to Reuters, an Israeli delegation arrived in Doha to continue discussions. According to an official source, the talks focus on “outstanding issues” and aim to “bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas” regarding the agreement proposed by President Biden on May 31. A diplomatic source revealed to Ynet that “the goal is to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages by the end of the month.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that “the Philadelphia axis and the Netzarim axis will not constitute an obstacle, there is flexibility from Hamas on this issue” . The discussions focus in particular on the positioning of IDF forces in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire.
A diplomatic source confirmed Monday evening that there had been “further progress toward an agreement.” The negotiations also concern the establishment of a control mechanism for civilians wishing to move to the north, a device which Hamas had opposed during the previous round of discussions.
The draft agreement provides for the release of people over 50, the sick and all those considered “humanitarian cases”, in exchange for a six-week ceasefire. “I have defined and ordered the entire security apparatus to place the question of the release of the hostages at the top of our priorities in the war system,” underlined Katz, adding that there would be “a large majority in favor approve the agreement to the government and the cabinet”.
At the same time, Donald Trump’s envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, held meetings in Israel with the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Coordinator of Prisoners and Missing and the Speaker of the Knesset. These meetings, kept relatively discreet at Boehler’s request, suggest that Trump’s team is already closely following events in the Middle East.
Swiss
